


Entering Orbit

by onemistressnomaster



Category: Star Trek: Picard
Genre: Implied/Referenced Character Death, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23482228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onemistressnomaster/pseuds/onemistressnomaster
Summary: Rios and Raffi have a talk as they arrive at Nepenthe.Spoiler warning for episodes 7 and 8
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16





	Entering Orbit

“La Sirena, this is Nepenthe orbital control, you have been approved for approach and to enter standard orbit. Please acknowledge that you have received notification of the restrictions on removing native products from Nepenthe, including, but not limited to plants, animals and soil.” came the disembodied voice through the speakers directly above Rios’ head. 

“Nepenthe, this is La Sirena, acknowledging. You should have the form back i…”  
The sudden end of the exchange caught Raffi’s attention. She looked over at Rios. One look at his face had her up out of her chair and moving to his side. All the color had drained out of Cris’ face and he was staring at the image of the restriction notification with wide eyes. But, more alarming than that, was the fact that his slack jawed expression had allowed his lit cigar to drop onto his lap Something he didn’t even seem to notice. 

“Cris, what the hell? You’re going to set your crotch on fire.” Raffi said, quickly moving toward her friend.   
Her words snapped him out of the shock of the sight before him. Jumping slightly in his chair he flailed about a bit until he found his cigar and extinguished the tiny embers that had drafted off it. All the while muttering the same word over and over again “Shit, shit, shit.”

“Say again, La Sirena?” 

Both Cris and Raffi startled slightly at the third voice, having forgotten that the comm was still open to orbital control. 

“Um, sorry Nepenthe. Just a minor, spill, all is good. Sending acknowledgment now.” Chris reached out and finished the transaction with one hand while still brushing the ash off his pants with the other. 

“Acknowledgment received. La Sirena, you are cleared for standard obit. Nepenthe out.”

Closing the comm link, Rois, tossed Raffi a sheepish look of embarrassment. “Sorry” he muttered. 

Raffi was standing with her arms crossed glaring at him. 

“Mind telling me what that was all about?” she asked. 

Pulling up a copy of the form he had just signed off on, he leaned back and gestured for Raffi to take a look. “ I couldn’t believe it was that easy. Nepenthe is normally a pain in the ass to get approval from, then I saw who authorized our obit. With everything else going on, I forgot he lived here. And, I wouldn’t have thought Picard would involve him in this.“

Raffi leaned over to take a closer look at the form. “William Riker? What the hell is he doing way the fuck out here? Starfleet finally figured out he is overrated?” 

“Really, that’s your question? Not, what the fuck is the old man thinking bringing this mess to Riker’s doorstep? That family’s been through enough.”

Cris realized by the puzzled look on Raffi’s face that she actually didn’t know why Riker was on Nepenthe. Shaking his head, he muttered another curse under his breath. “Sometimes I forget you’ve been living under a rock for the last ten years” he said. “You couldn’t go near a starbase or spaceport without hearing about it.” He paused for a moment, a sad sigh escaping from somewhere deep inside of him before he continued on. “Few years back, one of Riker’s kids, the boy, got sick. Riker and Troi scoured the galaxy looking for a cure, a treatment, anything that would help. Eventually, they had to leave active duty to take care of him. They moved here because this planet has some kind of magic healing dirt. Apparently, it only slowed down the illness and the kid died a little while back. Riker and Trio chose to stay here, probably trying to protect the kid they have left.”

Rios watched Raffi’s face move through a series of expressions, finally settling on a cross between anger and disbelief. 

“That explains why JL didn’t go to them for help in the first place. And, his choice to come here makes sense now.” she said. “But, really, he is just going to show, out of the blue with a synth in tow, and expects to be welcomed with open arms? What the hell is he thinking? “

Rios scratched his bread in thought before speaking. “I don’t personally know Riker or Trio, but from what I’ve heard, they won’t turn him away. “ He paused a moment as another thought came to him. “You know, I heard the kid died from something that could have been treated if it wasn’t for the synth ban. Seems to me that bringing a synth to them now is a bit---cruel.” 

Raffi looked away for a moment. She had to swallow hard as the image of her own son danced before her eyes. Guilty gnawed at her. Her son may not want anything to do with her, but he was alive and healthy. Her sanity would not have survived losing him due to the synth ban. 

She couldn’t stand even the thought of something like that happening. She forced her thoughts onto another subject. 

“What?” Rios asked as he watched Raffii’s eye’s narrow in thought. 

“There’s more to this than that. You nearly set your lap on fire. What was that all about?” asked Raffi. 

Now it was Raffi’s turn to watch Chris’ face move through a variety of expressions. He was looking everywhere else, but at her. 

“Spill it, Cris” 

Finally finding the nerve to look at her, Rios leaned forward in his chair. “What do you think the odds are that we actually get to meet Riker?” He asked. 

Raffi couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Seriously? Are you a Riker fanboy, or something? I met him and Trio once, in passing. They were nice enough. No big deal. “

“No big deal? The guy is reputed to be the best pilot of his generation! Not to mention he once chucked his own warp core at a group of enemy ships. Come on Raffi! That’s badass, no matter how you look at it.” 

“According to Picard, it was LaForge who did the actual chucking.” Raffi said.

“Maybe. Technically, but it was Riker’s idea and they named the maneuver after him.” Rios said. Moving out of his chair and heading toward the transporter. “Yeah, I admit it, I want to meet the guy. Find me a pilot out there who doesn’t.” 

Raffi rolled her eyes as she followed him towards the transporter. 

“I could ask JL to get you an autograph if you want…”

“Not funny, Raffi.” he paused “But you know if the opportunity comes up--”

“Rios, status report” came Picard’s voice. 

“Ready for transport on your signal, sir” Rios replied. 

Raffi waited for him to close the signal before speaking again. 

“That was a textbook Starfleet reply. “Sir”. Not your style these days.” She smirked at Rios. “Was it just in case Riker was listening? Want to make a good impression on your hero?”

“Hardly,” Rios said. He did, however, find himself suppressing a groan at the thought that Captain Riker might have overheard his earlier reply to Picard’s status update request and the impression it might have left on him. 

Raffi couldn’t help teasing Cris, just a bit more. “Just don’t tell me Riker is the reason you grew a beard. “

Rios felt his cheeks grow pink. Thankfully, he was saved from having to answer her by Picard’s request for transport. 

Seconds later all thought fled from his mind as a ghost took shape on the transporter pad.

**Author's Note:**

> Is it just me, or does it seem like Rios would totally be a Riker fanboy?


End file.
